Before you start any kind of pruning job, you need to have the proper tools, according to the Penn State Extension. Tools include: pruning shears, lopping shears, hedge shears, hand saws and pole saws.

Before you begin any work on trees and shrubs in your yard — whether they were planted that day or many years prior — Huge said to look around. If the tree or shrub stands close to wires — either overhead or next to the tree or shrub — he recommends calling a professional.

You need to identify what wires are electric and what voltage they are.

"Normally the electric wires are the highest, but why take a chance?" Huge said.

The Penn State Extension website recommends pruning in late winter and early spring when it is easier to see the shape of the tree and the branch patterns without the foliage. Once the tree has buds opening into leaves, wait until the leaves are full grown.

Flowering fruit trees should be pruned immediately after flowering. This allows a tree to develop flower buds for the next spring.

Even when the tree is first planted, it needs to be pruned in order to control its growth and to help develop its shape, said Steve Nordmark, Integrity Tree Service's other owner.

Pruning at this point means cutting the odd or dead shoots as well as dead leaves.

Pruning and cutting lower branches from small trees can be handled by anyone, as long as he or she has the proper tools and some knowledge about how trees grow, Huge said.

In the 1990s, Dr. Alex Shigo, a former chief scientist and pioneering project leader for the U.S. Forest Service, developed a new method of pruning trees.

Prior, trees were trimmed by using the topping (cutting the top part), tipping (cutting longer branches on the sides) or roundover (shaping for appearance) method.

"The only problem is all those methods require making numerous cuts," Nordmark said.

Shigo's concept is called 90-3-90. "What it stands for is, 90 percent of the time, three branches can be removed to provide 90 percent of the clearance," Huge said.

People get so angry at the power company when workers trim lines because it looks like the trimmer just took a big chunk out of the tree's middle, he said.

Both Huge and Nordmark agreed that the new method is much better for the tree because using the old method with lots of cuts means the tree usually succumbs to dehydration and disease.

"Every spot where a cut was made, the limbs would scar over and the tree couldn't absorb moisture or nutrients through the scarred spots," Huge said.

It's OK to trim a smaller tree that is not under or next to power lines, but anything bigger than that should be handled by a certified professional with experience.

When hiring someone, just because they tell you they are a professional isn't enough, Nordmark said. "Ask if them they have insurance and have been ACRT certified. If not, they legally can't work any closer than 10 feet of electric power lines," he said.

ACRT, based in Akron, Ohio, provides vocational training at entry and advanced levels of the technical expertise and scientific basis for professional tree care. Skills taught include climbing, pruning, roping and rigging, chain-saw operations, tree identification, safety and tree removal.

You should also ask for references, Huge said.

Huge said the best solution for anyone who wants to plant trees that would grow under or near power lines is to follow utility company guidelines for trees compatible with utility wires.

The Penn State Extension design concept of trees compatible with utility lines is called "the right tree in the right place."

"It means when a tree has to be planted under a power line, it needs to be one that will not grow taller than 20 to 30 feet," Huge said.

According to the concept, medium-size trees — up to 45 feet at maturity level — can be planted near utility lines if they are offset at least 15 feet from the nearest wire.

If you aren't sure, Normark said to contact your local utility.

Other offices that can assist a homeowner are the Penn State Cooperative Extension office and Pennsylvania District Forestry office.

Ask the Expert is published on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Readers can send their questions or ideas to aleap@poconorecord.com.